Texas Archival Resources Online

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

Houston Public Library, Houston Metropolitan Research Center

Naomi H. Polk Collection:

An Inventory of Records at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library



Descriptive Summary

CreatorPolk, Naomi H. d. May 5, 1984
Title Naomi H. Polk Collection
Inclusive Dateearly 1900's-early 1980's
IdentificationMSS 270
Extent1 box
LanguageMaterials are in English.
RepositoryHouston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library

Biographical Note

Mrs. Naomi H. Polk was a woman who was very passionate, descriptive, and spiritually aware. Her passions were God, her mother, her heritage, and Houston. Mrs. Polk was born around the end of the 1800's in the sixth ward of Houston. She was one of ten children born to Josephine Tatum (Walton) and Woodson Howard. Josephine was directly of African descent and although her African surname was Tatum, she had to take her master' surname, Walton. Mrs. Polk took great pride in her direct link to Africa from her mother, but she was unsure of her father's heritage. Her mother was a strong woman, as well as a great influence on Mrs. Polk's life. Throughout this selection she refers to herself as Aunt Jo's child. She offers the explanation for calling her mother her aunt in one of her stories. Mrs. Polk's writings are creative, descriptive pieces that transport the reader to whicheer event is her subject matter. Mrs. Polk, while an ordinary citizen and observer of Houston, left behind a great collection concerning the city and her life withing it. Mrs. Polk died May 5, 1984 in the city she loved.

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This collection consists of the memoirs of Mrs. Naomi H. Polk. The main topics of her writings are her heritage, her feelings about Houston, her childhood, and religion. Her strong belief in God is extremely evident throughout her writings. Although her memoirs are not in chronological order, they roughly span from the conditions surrounding how her great-grandparents were brought to America from Africa up until the time she spiritually reunited with God. Each handwritten page is a glimpse into the soul of Mrs. Naomi H. Polk. Without specific dates as a guide, this collection has an estimated span of seventy to eighty years from the early 1900's through the 1970's or early 1980's.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

None.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Naomi H. Polk Collection must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.

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Index Terms

Subjects (Persons)
Polk, Naomi H. d. May 5, 1984
Subjects (Places)
Houston, Tex.
Subjects
African Americans--Texas--Houston

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Naomi H. Polk Collection. MSS 270. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Rosalie M. Taylor, 1984.

Processing Information

Processed by Nikeesha Burrell, 1996.

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Detailed Description

 
BoxFolder
11Heritage and Houston

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BoxFolder
12Short Stories

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BoxFolder
13Religion

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BoxFolder
14Songs and Poems

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BoxFolder
15Incomplete Manuscripts

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